Tech Company vs Tech Assisted Company

By Ryan Skidmore

April 6, 2017

“You can go with this, Or you can go with that”

For better or worse, many companies are self-described, or described by others, as tech companies because technology is somewhere in the black box of themselves. To illustrate the difference, we offer a tale of two enterprises. First, the odyssey of Uber. “On a snowy Paris evening in 2008, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp had trouble hailing a cab. So they came up with a simple idea—tap a button, get a ride,” reads the “Our-Story” page on their website. The concept extends to a platitude of other physical objects and services. All of the above are spokes on their hub-app. The technology is augmented by the outside world to service the customer. Even the word “Uber” is sourced directly from internet slang of the last 2000s. Every inch of the institution is oozing with digital mythos. Conversely, consider the account of Barton and Gray Mariners Club. Founded in 2005 by distinguished businessmen Tim Barton and Douglas Gray, Barton and Gray Mariners Club is the “world’s only luxury dayboating club.” “Membership provides you access to our fleet of captained Hinckley yachts,” reads their Facebook page. They serve mainly New England. Essentially, Boat ride sharing for the well-heeled, or at least the medium-heeled. They are a traditional company assisted by technology to match riders with boats and keep a schedule. Everything from the colors on their website to the straightforward phrases on their Facebook are decidedly conventional.

It’s like electricity in the early 1900s

The Edison power company had been rolling strong since the 1890s, electricity for most US cities was ubiquitous enough that a business with electricity somewhere in their workflow was progressive, but not cutting edge. Technology, as in newer technologies and their entourage of supporting concepts, is the same. Not using it relegates one’s enterprises to the oozing malaise of mediocrity. Using too much too hard too often with too much good-faith, for the average business, obscures concrete the goals of business. Balance, is the key. A huge tell-tale of a “tech” company, they don’t operate on firmly established and well-worn mores. Facebook bought Instagram for “1 Billion Dollar!”, as Dr. Evil of the Austin Power franchise might exclaim (queue evil laugh), despite one detail, it “at the time, had no revenue.” (facebook-instagram-acquisition-1-billion-genius) Previous its success, an average business owner might listen to the logic of the Instagram purchase with same ear and attentiveness they would their astrology friend’s explanation of why their last relationship failed, not very closely. The logic is highly theoretical, always a gamble, and many a time made up on the spot, but the payoff is unlike any other in this century. Here a little on the astronomical pay offs of successful startups: todays-tech-billionaires-have-lot-common-previous-generation-capitalist. Early adopting traditional businesses should cherry pick the concepts that worked the best. Such businesses gain the stability of proven ideas and the power of new ones. Small businesses like this are at a particularly unique advantage of not getting too caught up in the momentary hype, but also not burdened by faith that all the ways of yore will enable them to survive and navigate coming the challenges.

A little goes a long way

Using a thin layer of the new, makes existing business infrastructure better and stronger. Additionally, using one or two technologies creates a strong and streamlined workflow. Making one suite core to operating your business takes advantage of a curated set of tools designed for your business. A great model is Microsoft Office. It contains every basic function an office of any type needs. A few of the tools are completely indispensable to ever person in the office. Others are useful to individuals with a particular expertise. All of them require little configuration. Another key is to start using the new concepts they offer. In the case of businesses with vehicles, managing a fleet of any size at any level may be new. Why take the time? Because the near-term benefits will manifest shortly and tracking drivers and vehicles over a short period will reveal inefficiencies every time. Another big reason to go with a certain tool set, new features released periodically will enhance current functions. Whatever you are doing, you’ll be a power user and only getting more powerful. Needless to say, Carmine’s system does exactly this, but taking the same approach to other areas of business will optimize where inefficiency reigns. Carmine system will allow you to experience all of the advantages of using GPS fleet tracking solutions for a business.

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